Flexible connection for shafts and the like.



VL. D. HUBBELL. FLEXIBLE CONNECTION FORY SHAFTS AND THE LIKE. APPLIoAmoN FILED JULY 24, 1906.

1,034,453. Patented Aug. 6,1912.

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i .entran .sterne rei-avena*- erteilen.

LINDLEY D. Homann.- o'r Beernem), -connncTIcrinAssrenoR To Ten PorntienerAcTUnme conrn'ivv, 'ornn'nTroan coivivncTIcUT, A conronarroivcr coi\r Y TLfnxrntnlconn'scrton ron sHnrTsANn Tien Linn,y

=1 specification ofteaersratent; appese-eterea nnyze, 190e. serai No. eeasn.'

' Patented Aug. 6, ig.

To all 'whom it may concern: l

. Be it knovvn that I, L11-Intuit D. HUBBnriL,

, a citizen of the United States, `and a resident and a further 4object .of theinyention is tol proyide va devicel offthis class tljiatj will allocT accompanying auch incineracin ci, '40

uiepgreaie'st effectiveness. 1 es a greater or. less .variation in, the. location of th e. .parts tofbe lunited With'respect to the distance'fromeach other; ande further ob-n jec'tis toprovide a device ofjth'isclass that shall include inone structure-'means Whereloy-a greater or les`s' .`variationi in theloca tion of thepartsto 'be united, 4 both vas re garde j the' distance' leetvveen the parts and also as to their k lo cat idii lhierrr-axial line shall be" permitted; leidlelstll fel-*ther Object f theinvention is tn providefaf" yicein which the'jclutclilnieinbersshallfbe' 'inilperfe'ctfalinenieritsothat there is p'roperfcontafct at all 1lgioflltsabout the lperipherie. @fthe .@lllthil'iierfseg oper'ation. A forrnof devmeinthe use ofyvhich these objects may be ttained illustrated in the 'leyatioii of the transmission gea 1n i tailview in cross-section on the' line 3 3 of Figil.4 Fig. 4 is al detail view on enlarged.

^ scale showing-thelubiicating device.

My ,improvement finds ready application to many'I different structuresin which two shaft sections are vtohe united, as the device will allow such sections perfect freedom of rotary `movement while theparts'may not be strictly in axial, alinelnent. The device `is @Specially a plicable in the.cons tructun 1 .of4 motor. vehic which the diderent parte eserved vat all hue insuring collar 12, provided are more or less liable to be slightly out of aline'ment in the. setting up of the mechanism, and in which they are frequently teniporarily thrown out of alineincnt underthe peculiar uses to which suoli a vehicle is subjected, causing a springing action the frame, and such a device has therefore been chosen by me as one in lconnection with which -my invention may be readilyl illustrated. j

In the accompanying'drawings the numeral 1 denotes as a Whole a clutch of a form commonly used inthe construction of motor vehicles, this clutch includinga driving part 2 and a driven member 3. The latter has a friction surface 4t which c ontactsvvith a friction surface-5 on the driving part. in mechanism of this character the driven clutch member 3 is constantly held in contact with the driving clutch part 2 as by means of a spring except when force is ap-l plied torele'ase the pressure of the spring.

In applying my improvement to suclr a mechanism anfextension 6 is provided on the driven member 35 this extenslon'formlng one of themembers of the iiexible com-vectio'n.-A 'A chamber 7 is formed centrally in this` ex` tension, in which is located a spring 8. This spring rests at one end against a plate 30' forming aportion of 4a thrust bearing which includes a ball ring 31 Within which balls 32 are located, these balls rest-ing against a ring 33 backed up or supported byY a projecting part from the driving member 2 lying. Within the extension 6,rand theopposite end of the spring which is under tension is forced against a stop 9. This stop is' screW-t'hreaded-into the walls Iof the chamber 7 and serves as a means for regulating the tension of the spring, a set screw holding the stop' in any desired position of adjust-ment.

A collar l2 issecured to the extensiond and for the purpose Toi". securing' ease of movement ofthegparts ball bearings 13 are located between this collar and a hardened steel ring 4t carried bythe flange 14. A

fork'fl secured to a rock shaft4 16. engages trumiinns 18* on the collar 12. B y means of .e fp ot lever the vshaft 16 may be operated toy .svvin the fork andthus move the clutch mem ers 'apartand against the force of the spring 8. oilcaslng 40 attached to the r lthebearings 13? while a washer 42, located in a groove in the periphery of the ring 41 serves to prevent the escape of lubricant from within the oil casing and also prevents the entrance of dust or dirt tliereinto. One of the trunnions 18 is provided with an opening within which is secured an oil cup. This oil cup is of well-known construction, including a cap 43 by'means of which lubricant, usually Vin a plastic condition, is forced through the channel 44 to the bearings 13.

The connection as a whole includes a driving member and a driven member, and a connecting sleeve, which parts may be variously constructed to embodv my invention. In the form of the invention illustrated herein a rib 17 is formed on the outer'surface of the extension 6, and the opening in the sleeve and this rib are shaped in crosssection to corres ond, the form of the parts in cross-section' eing non-circular, so that when the, extension 6 is rotated alike movement is imparted to the sleeve. As illustrated, this form in cross-section is octagonal, or in general appearance sqhuare and reduced at the corners. The rib 17 is rounded as plainly shown in Fig. l so that i a tipping or endulum action is permitted,

and in addition thereto the extension 6 is .'allowed a longitudinal movement within the sleeve.

The driven member 19, in the device shown herein, is that part of the shaft extending to or connected with the transmission gearing, and this end of the sleeve 11 and the part 19 are also similarly formed in the cross-section to compel simultaneous rotary movement, the parts being non-circular in form. As herein illustrated, the opening in the sleeve 11-is of the same general form from end to end, although I do not intendY to limit myself to such construction.

The driven member 19 `has a flange 2O which is curved as at 21 to allow pendulum movement of the parts relative to each other. In order to prevent separation of theiparts at this point a pin 22 is passed through the sleeve l1, as .plainly shown in Fig. v2, this pin lying within a recess 23 in the flange 20. rl `his recess is slightly larger than the pin 22, as shown in Fig. l, so that a certain freedom of movement is allowed to the member 19 in its pendulum action and while the part may swing on the pin as a pivot, this space provided by the recess 23 and the smaller pin 22 also allows a certain limited swinging movement in a. transverse direction.

The end ofthe driven member 19' and the projection 6 are located a suiiicient distance apart so that ,the spring 8 may be easily removed. To accomplish this it is necessary only to remove the .pin 22 and slip the sleeve backward on the part 19.

Vpart 6 forward, enabling the spring to be removed bypassing it through the opening between the ends of thedriven member 19 and the projection 6. i

The loose connection between the projection 6 and the sleeve 11 allowing sliding movement of the one part within the other provides for the proper axial movement of the clutch parts for engagement and disengagement, and also in` addition thereto, features hereinbefore set out.

From this description it will be noted that this construction constitutes a form of universal joint in which a lateral movement in different directions is provided for the driving member and a like movement in different directions is also provided for the driven member, so thatvthe parts located on opposite sides of this connection may be located to a greater or less extent out of axial alinement and yet be allowed perfect freedom of rotating movement by reason of the peculiar construction of the connection.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a flexible connection a sleeve having an opening of uniform size in transverse section from end to end, said opening being com osed of several flat bearing surfaces exten ing one from the other in a circumferential direction in continuation of the inner surface of the sleeve, a driving member and a driven member projecting into'rsaid sleeve, one of said members having a flange with bearing surfaces formed to the same shape as those on the inner surface of the sleeve, the several edges of said flange being curved lengthwise to permit tipping movement within the sleeve,and the other of said members having a groove in one edge and its opposite edge yrounded to provide a bearing surface, and -a pin located in said groove and in a corresponding groove on the inner surface of the ISleeve.

2. In a flexible connection, a sleeve having an opening non-circular in cross-section, a driving member and a driven member pro- 'ecting .into said sleeve, one of said inemers hating a flange with bearing surfaces of the same shape as those on the inner surface of the sleeve, the several edgesvof said flange being curved lengthwise to permit tipping movement within the sleeve, and the other of said members having a groove in one edge and its opposite edge rounded to provide a bearing surface, and a pin located in said groove and a corresponding groove on the inner surface of the sleeve.

3. In a flexible connection, a sleeve having an opening non-circular in form in cross-section, al driving member and a driven member projecting into said sleeve,l each of said members having a ange with bearing surfaces of the same shape as those on the inner surface of the sleeve and curved lengthwise to permit tipping movement Within the sleeve, one of said anges having a groove in one edge, and a pin located in said groove and in a corresponding groove on the inner surface of the sleeve.

4. In a iexible connection, a sleeve having an opening non-circular in form in transverse section, a driving section and a driven section projecting Within said sleeve, and each closely fitting the same at ali points therearound the engaging surfaces of the sleeve and sections being formed to .15 permit relative tipping movementof said parts, and means for pivotally attaching the sleeve to a shaft section at one side of the axis thereof.

This specification signed and witnessed 20 this thirteenth day of July A. D., 1906.

LINDLEY D. HUBBELL.

Signed in the .presence ote L. H. KELTING, A; M. HOLCOMBE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,y by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

